Queen Celeste decides to surprise King Babar with a statue of himself for his birthday but has a difficult time keeping it a secret.

At lasta manual that takes the chore out of cataloging sound recordings! The author clarifies the AACR2 rules (Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, 2nd edition) and literally steps through the thought process used in cataloging a sound recording, beginning with what to use as the source for the title, through the physical description and series information. All the examples of catalog cards presented, ranging from the full gamut of 20th century music to spoken records and compact discs, show the full level of descriptive cataloging. The appendixes make this a practical worker's manual; they include order and content of cataloging notes, order of parts in a uniform title, a glossary of musical terms and acronyms, a list of basic reference books and thematic indexes, a complete set of catalog cards, and the Library of Congress rule interpretations for sound recordings. The detailed indexes enhance this important book's utility.

Babar's family is off on a world tour! First stop is Italy where they learn to say "Buon giorno! Hello!" After that, it's off to Germany, Spain, Russia, India, Japan and Thailand. Then Mexico, the Southwest United States, Egypt, Antarctica, and, of course, France.

Babar pays an official visit to Washington, D.C., then travels around the United States, receiving an honorary degree from Harvard University, fishing in Lake Michigan, and touring California with his family.